Hot cars lead to deaths of children and pets

Published: Wednesday, August 21, 2013 at 08:35 PM.

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"The temperatures don't always have to be high for it to be fatal. This is a year-round issue."

Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.

Here are some tips for parents and guardians to prevent children from dying in cars

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle — even for a minute

Lock all vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited the vehicle—especially at home. Keep keys out of children’s reach

Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car

Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or whatever is to be carried from the car on the floor in front of the child in a backseat. This triggers adults to see children when they open the rear door and reach for their belongings

Each year, an average of 38 children die inside of vehicles from heat stroke – and 2013 could surpass that mark.

"Already, there have been 26 reported deaths nationwide this year," Christy Hobbs, Safe Kids Eastern Carolina coordinator, said on Wednesday. "Child locks, kids playing hide-and-seek in trunks, caregivers not used to dropping off kids and people forgetting their children have been the biggest issues.”

Dozens of pets also perish in the heat as well, with negligence being one of the primary issues.

"There isn't an exact number for how many pets die each year, and even if there was, it would be skewed because many of these tragedies go unreported," PETA Online Marketing Coordinator Liam Cronin said. "That's why it is so important for people to stop, get help and not leave until an animal is safe when they see one unattended in a car."

On Wednesday, the Safe Kids organization had a "Never Leave Your Child Alone in a Car" demonstration in order to raise awareness on such a serious issue.

Hobbs had a thermostatic display hooked up to her Chevrolet Tahoe, showing the external temperature and internal to passer-bys on a monitor. By 10:30 a.m., one hour after she turned on the equipment, the temperature was 84 degrees outside, but 120 degrees in the vehicle.

At noon, the external temperature was 91 degrees, but the interior of the Tahoe was up to a scorching 136 degrees.

"The temperature in a car can rise very fast," Hobbs said. "On average, it can rise more than 20 degrees in 10 minutes. Organ failure happens at 107 degrees and a child's temperature increases three to five times faster than an adult.”

Even if the sun is covered up by clouds, heat stroke can still occur. Humidity can play a factor in the internal vehicle temperatures.

"People need to be extremely careful with kids and pets," Greenville resident Kathy Braxton said. "Even on cloudy days, the weather can still take the lives of small, innocent kids."

For those who believe cracking open a window will provide proper ventilation, Hobbs said it wouldn't help much.

"Even if the windows were down a bit, the heat would still be overpowering," Hobbs said.

As the summer starts to wind down and autumn is seen on the horizon, some may be lulled into a false sense of security because of falling temperatures. Hobbs wants to let people know the threat of cars overheating isn't just a seasonal problem.

"A lot of people still think summer is the only concern when it comes to this issue," Hobbs said. "In a place like North Carolina, the temperature is up and down. We can have an 80 degree day in December.

"The temperatures don't always have to be high for it to be fatal. This is a year-round issue."

Junious Smith III can be reached at 252-559-1077 and Junious.Smith@Kinston.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JuniousSmithIII.

Here are some tips for parents and guardians to prevent children from dying in cars

Never leave a child unattended in a vehicle — even for a minute

Lock all vehicle doors and trunk after everyone has exited the vehicle—especially at home. Keep keys out of children’s reach

Dial 911 immediately if you see an unattended child in a car

Place a cell phone, PDA, purse, briefcase, gym bag or whatever is to be carried from the car on the floor in front of the child in a backseat. This triggers adults to see children when they open the rear door and reach for their belongings